When you visit somewhere fun with your spouse or friends, it’s called a vacation. When you go somewhere with your kids, it’s called a trip. Have you heard this before? The first time I heard it described this way, it made me laugh out loud! It’s painfully accurate. When you picture going somewhere on vacation, you typically think of relaxing, exploring, or taking your time leisurely sightseeing a fun and interesting place. Somehow when you add small children to the mix, it becomes less about relaxation and more about keeping your cool as you try to manage your little minions just surrounded by different scenery. Okay, all kidding aside, it can still be an overall enjoyable experience– there’s something magical about seeing your kids witness something exciting or visit a new place for the first time. However, there are things to consider beforehand in order to maximize a trip with children. I thought I would share some of the things I have learned through experience with traveling with little ones.
First and foremost, you’ll need to adjust your expectations. If you’re going on a trip with littles, you need to understand and accept that there will be certain sacrifices or changes you’ll have to make compared to an adults-only vacay. This means that you’ll possibly have to decrease the number of activities you squeeze into a day, you may have to find time for naps, skip out on a fancy restaurant where you’d be more stressed than it’s worth, or go at a slower pace than you’re used to. Every child is different, and even the same child may get more worn out one day vs. the next. Accept that not everything will happen as planned, that some things are bound to go wrong. Keeping your expectations realistic helps to avoid some of the frustration and disappointment later on.
Second, give yourselves extra time for everything. Especially if you are on a time schedule (such as a flight to catch), give yourself a little bit of a cushion so that you’re not feeling as stressed the day of. We all know that everything takes longer when kids are involved. Plan extra time for traffic, bathroom breaks, diaper changes/outfit changes, and meltdowns.
Third, pack an extra dose or two of patience, especially on travel days. Prepare yourself that the kids may get tired, cranky, or will reach a “just plain over it” attitude (and let’s be honest, adults can easily get there too!) especially when spending hours in the car, in a packed airport, or on long flights. Remind yourself that what you are asking of them (to sit still, stay quiet for hours at a time) is quite difficult for little bodies who are used to running, yelling, and generally moving around at will. If things do get crazy, keep in mind that the travel day is typically the most hectic and the flight/car ride WILL eventually end!
And finally, preparedness goes a long way. Plan out as much as you can; figure out your itinerary and get a rough idea of timing and order of things. You can always scrap the plan and improvise if something comes up, but at least you have options. Make it easy on yourself and book as many of the things ahead of time as possible especially during peak season (entrance tickets, car reservations, figure out public transportation if applicable, and other itinerary specifics). Make sure you plan to include activities where the kids can run around and get their energy out such as time outside at a park, playground, trails or beach. If you’re planning to do something that may be less thrilling for kids in the morning such as a museum, try to balance it out by planning something afterwards that you know they will love (like a trip to an ice cream shop!).
Additionally, there are certain tips and tricks that you can do or pack that can make the traveling and the trip itself easier. Below I’ve listed some of the specifics that we have found particularly useful!
- Snacks, snacks, snacks! Make sure to pack lots of snacks! Hungry kids = whiney, cranky kids. Our favorite, portable snacks are cheerios, goldfish, bananas, cuties, and raisins. In addition, consider packing some special treats that they love but don’t get all the time (our kids go bonkers for fruit snacks because we generally don’t buy them). These can be used as bribes if necessary!
- Easy to pack toys/activities that are engaging and time-consuming. Some great ones are water-wow pads, stickers, etch-a-sketch type tablets, books, or gel window clings (for airplane windows or car windows).
- iPad or tablet— even if you don’t regularly let your kids play or watch things on the iPad, consider letting them for long plane or car rides. It’s a HUGE help to provide entertainment and pass the time. Make sure you have movies/shows downloaded (you can even download from Netflix or Prime video so you can access without needing internet).
- Headphones— you can buy fairly inexpensive bluetooth kids headphones that double as noise cancelling. This way kids can listen to the iPad without disturbing others around you, or you can stream music for them from your phone or other device. For kids that love music, this is super helpful!
- Change of clothes–you want to make sure you have an extra change of clothes for your little one in your carry on (or accessible in the car) especially for little ones in diapers or recently potty trained. Also consider having a change of clothes for yourself, in case the blow out, leak, or spit up gets your clothes dirty as well. The last thing you want is to be stuck in clothes covered in bodily fluids and not be able to change until you have access to your checked bags.
- On flights, consider nursing or bottle feeding during take-off and landing. This helps to relieve any pressure/pain in baby’s ears due to the air pressure changes.
- If you’re flying and bringing car seats along for a rental, consider investing in a car seat cover. This will help protect the car seat if you plan on checking it, makes it easier to carry (get one with straps!), and you can always shove an extra pack of diapers or some other overflow items into it along with the car seat.
- When packing, try to think through your kids daily/nightly routine and remember to pack those little essentials that you’d otherwise miss. Think teddy bears/lovey, blankies, pacifiers, favorite jammies, any medications or creams, sound machines, night lights, etc. I’ve found that kids are more flexible with unexpected changes during the day, but naptime/bedtime items and routines are more non-negotiable. You want to make sure that you have everything you’ll need to get your little ones to sleep so that everyone is as well rested as possible!
That’s all I’ve got for now, I hope this can be helpful to someone! Remember: adjust your expectations, plan ahead, & try to relax and enjoy your trip! ; )